


Ecto Transmissions

by Erin_Knightly_Tetch



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Ghosts, Romance, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin_Knightly_Tetch/pseuds/Erin_Knightly_Tetch
Summary: Well known voice of Amity Park's radio station, Kasey Harper, has always loved and believed in ghosts since a young age. And with the town being such a hot spot for ghost activity, this might be more than she could anticipate or even imagine after falling head over feet for the mysterious Vlad Plasmius and being thrust into life changing situations…
Relationships: Vlad Masters x OC, oc x canon - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A heads up:  
> \- This fan-fic is heavily OC x Canon shipping: Kasey Harper x Vlad Masters/Plasmius (aka Radioplasm)  
> \- this is my own head canon/re-write for episode events. Some things won't be beat for beat except for bigger plot points that are for fleshing out the story further or unless otherwise stated.  
> \- Please be patient while I work on this fic and please be respectful/mindful of the above heads up. 
> 
> Thank You/Honorable Mention:  
> \- prologue and chapters 1 and 2 were beta read by my good friend @codyfromstatefarm 
> 
> That said I don't own Danny Phantom or any of it's characters/elements. Kasey Harper/her backstory are mine.

**Prologue: Circumstance**

\-----

Getting himself up was no easy feat. Not when two-thirds of wind had been knocked out of him. Putting a hand to his head and steadying himself against a workbench, Vlad rested an elbow against the countertop. The lab spun. Glancing at his hands, his energy was clearly getting low. They were less opaque than usual. It took him a few minutes for him to process the situation. His head felt like it had been clocked like a bell a few times. As he was took in the lab, his eyes widened in fear. The lab was empty. _The lab was empty…_

 _“Kasey!”_ She wasn’t here. He went to the ghost portal, trying all the buttons but it wouldn’t turn on. He cursed himself ten times over and banged on the portal’s control panel but nothing happened. He grabbed at the drawers nearby, pulling them open and flinging them to the floor. Looking for tools, anything. He was panicking and dropping everything. Out of pure frustration he sent a bolt of ectoplasm through the wall. 

“Wow, redecorating?” a voice behind him taunted. “Looks good already”. 

Vlad turned around, gritting his fangs menacingly. Lurching forward to push the ghost boy against the nearest wall. He hissed, “Daniel, I’m not in a humouring mood”. 

“Okay one, mints were invented. Two,” Danny roughly pushed him off of him, “Don’t care. I came to check if you’ve seen the news”, he gestured. 

“Does it look like I have?! I don’t have time to watch such dribble. I need to find Kasey, you dolt!” the former remarked.

“Look, I just barely escaped Fright Knight’s lackey’s and--”, Danny frowned, “Kasey? What do you mean you’re looking for her? Isn’t she with you?”

He folded his arms across his chest. 

Vlad flinched; too zapped of energy to argue further, he transformed back. “For your information, Kasey and I were working on upgrading her ecto-pistol. We were in the Ghost Zone training so she could get used to it. It all happened so fast, something or someone attacked us. I don’t know who they were. I tried to protect Kasey but I must have been knocked back through the portal”. 

Danny transformed back as well. This wasn’t the time nor place to argue. “Whoever woke up Fright Knight and unleashed him on Amity Park, they have Kasey”, he glanced at the ghost portal, “And they must also still be in the Ghost Zone”. 

He trailed off with an exasperated sigh and turned back to Vlad, “We’re going to have to use my parents’ ghost portal and the Specter Speeder if we’re ever going to find her”.

“What about Amity Park? Surely Danny Phantom can’t just up and leave everyone, right?” Vlad reminded him, a sneer on his face.

Danny knew being in two places at once was not an option. He couldn’t just disappear on everyone. He’d have to smuggle Vlad into his home to get to the portal and then Vlad was on his own. “You know, I hate to admit it but you’re right” he sighed, even more exasperated, “Maybe I can’t stand you, but I can stand you a lot more when Kasey’s around”. 

He held out his hand towards the older man.

Vlad accepted his handshake, regardless of where they stood. 

\-------

Kasey’s eyes opened gradually. She felt like a ragdoll, limp and unaware. The best thing her mind could come up with was ‘what happened?’ When going to reach to rub her eyes, there was no movement. A red flag in the back of her mind went off. This piqued her attention a bit more quickly. 

Studying herself a little more, she was tied back against what looked to be a giant beanstalk. It plunged up through the floor and through the roof. Vines wrapped around her up to her neck. Glancing down to her thigh holster, she was dismayed to see that the ecto-pistol was gone. Kasey surmised that wouldn’t have mattered if she had it or not; trying to move was not an option. Upon further inspection there were guards posted up and down the room. They wore dark grey and red-marked tactic armor-- Walker’s police force. 

Movement out of the corner of her eye startled her. A hand came down on her shoulder and sent a shiver down her spine. “Ah. So you’re awake. And here I was getting worried you were going to miss the main event”, a deep, smooth voice remarked, an icy tone trailing behind it. 

Kasey, unable to do anything else, turned her head in the direction of the voice. The figure was taller and bigger than her, with pale blue skin, flaming white hair and red eyes. In her head she had the strange image of some sort of mashup between Danny’s ghost form and Vlad’s. Nothing else could possibly describe him, aside from the fact she was suddenly terrified. 

“W--who are---wha--what are you?” Kasey stuttered out.

“You can call me Dan if you’d like. Two halves of two very different individuals”, he circled around her, as though enjoying how shaken she was, “Do you mind if I call you Kasey?” 

Kasey sucked in a breath and tried to fight back how afraid she was. Of all the ghosts and all of the weird things she’d seen and witnessed, this one, terrified her beyond what she could imagine. “D--Danny---and Danny and Vlad---they’ll be here any moment”, she tried to act tough despite herself. As though she was telling a stranger she had a very big dog. 

Dan’s smile was less than charming, “Oh, I am very much counting on that”, he paused, “I’ve dispatched a decoy to Amity Park, who are all having the worst nightmare they can ever imagine”, he placed his arms behind his back, turning away from her, “Their destruction”.

“No!”,her mouth falling open. 

His laugh was like a cold shower and she froze as he eyed her. “Once those two buffoons get here, you can watch as I crush them both before I do the same o Amity Park”, he stood to glance over his shoulder to keep an eye on her to watch the emotion wash over her face. “And,” he added with an ominous and eerie calm, “If you haven’t died of a broken heart by then, I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to serve out the rest of your miserable life in the Ghost Zone”.

Kasey fought back angry tears, wrestling in vain against the vines. She couldn’t bring herself to speak but instead clenched her teeth in hatred. Dan turned his back on her, smirking with malice and delight to hear her struggles. Moving across the room swiftly, he pressed a button to access a wall, that slid open to reveal a large plexiglass box. 

“Let me put this into perspective for you Kasey, just in case you’re thinking of escaping,” Dan remarked. “My men caught a few of your co-conspirators trying to break into the castle earlier”. He laughed, disappearing from the room with a flourish 

Kasey stopped struggling to see a handful of ghosts confined within the glass box. Johnny 13 and his shadow, Kitty, Poindexter, Box Ghost, Cujo, and Youngblood. The box was surrounded by a barrier that would make them unable to escape. She stared at each one of them, wondering what had transpired and would cause them to come to her rescue. Her heart sank quickly and her chin dropped to her chest. The other ghosts looked disappointed in their efforts as well, all except Johnny and Kitty. 

“Don’t worry, Kase”, Kitty quietly spoke towards her, trying to be comforting as possible. “Everything will be fine”. 

“Yeah, don’t sweat it kiddo”, Johnny reaffirmed, “We’ll all be out of this in no time”. 

Kasey lowered her head. Thinking of Vlad. Despite scrunching her eyes, a single tear fell down her cheek. Her voice was very quiet, defeated. “But...but how?”


	2. Chapter 1: Million Dollar Day

** Chapter 1: Million Dollar Day **

_“This is Lance Thunder reporting that the giant asparagus ghost that has been terrorizing Amity Park has finally been vanquished by---what is your name, good sir?”_

_“Plasmius. The most powerful ghost in the entire universe”._

_“Give this man--er--ghost a medal, the key to the mayor’s office and his own statue right in the middle of our fair city!” The reporter remarked happily._

_The ghost gave a wave of his hand, “Actually, the only thing I want is a kiss from the fair maiden I rescued whilst protecting this ordinary town from destruction”. he turned with a flourish towards the crowd._

_Her eyes lit up as he spotted her. Everyone around her clapped happily and stepped back as the ghost lifted her into his arms. She leaned against his shoulder as their faces drew closer and closer together. She sighed and closed her eyes as he closed the distance, cupping her cheek When he went to open his mouth however…._

_A loud noise vibrated…what…a loud noise?!_

\-------

_“AH!”_

Blankets and sheets tangled around her legs as she fell onto the rug beside the bed. She aimed for her phone but only managed to send it flying onto the floor next to her, still playing her catch upbeat alarm tone. She reached for it, swiping the screen to pick up the call.

“Hello?” she answered. 

“Harper, where you?!” her co-worker Roy Stebbins asked, sounding panicked.

Kasey Harper sighed, rubbing her hand down her face in frustration. She had been in the middle of the nicest dream. _Why’s it always during the good part?_ “I’m at home, Roy. It’s my day off. And it’s--It’s almost ten?” 

“Simon is going to have my tail if you’re not here in the next hour,” Roy fussed, “I promised him I’d get you into work today.” 

“Why?” She asked, part of her wanting to ask why Simon didn’t just call her himself. Generally if it was urgent there’d be no need to have someone else do it for him. She was curious. Plainly speaking, she was generally never asked into work like this unless it was an emergency.  
She heard him take a drink of something, slurping too fast and coughing a little. “You’re a science whiz right? You read those magazines---”

Kasey glanced over at the three stacks of magazines from various science subscriptions, “Yeah? What’s your point?” She got up to untangle herself from her bedding, rubbing her eyes. 

“Kasey---the bosses want you to do an interview with Vlad Masters this afternoon! He’s coming to Amity Park.” 

Kasey had been halfway across her bedroom when what Roy said caused her to freeze in mid step. Her eyes widened. She choked back a breath, both shock and excited horror overwhelming her. “Roy…did you say…..Vlad Masters? _THE Vlad Masters?!_ ” She looked down at the recent magazine she had gotten with his photo on the front cover. 

“Yeah, I---Kasey are you...alright?” Roy wanted to know, hearing how heavily she was breathing as though she were trying to clutch for air.

“CAN’T TALK ROY. TELL THEM I’LL BE THERE WITHIN THE NEXT 45 MINUTES!!” Kasey yelled into her phone unintentionally, hanging up the call and promising herself she’d apologize to him the minute she got into work.

The second she was off the phone, she moved into an excited pose. “I am going to interview Vlad Masters!” She excitedly cried and then slowly, ever so slowly became wide eyed again, “Oh god,” her lower lip trembled and her body froze again, “I….I’m going to interview Vlad Masters.” She slowly trailed off as she started to agonize and overthink. “Sergeant Pepper! What am I going to do?! I’m not prepared for this!” She turned to the chair in the corner of her bedroom where her two year old black cat lay, curled up on her old Casper High sweatshirt. 

The cat gave her no acknowledgement aside from a ‘meow’ and promptly went back to sleep. Kasey tossed her phone onto her bed, grabbing a few of her magazines and booked it to the bathroom. She skimmed other interviews with him so she wouldn’t be stupid enough to ask him the same questions, nor ask anything that sounded over the top. She then tried to think of her own things to say and spent more than twenty minutes in the shower, going over how she was even going to introduce herself. 

“I’m Ms. Harper…...no, no , no….Hi, I’m….Kasey?” She placed her face into her hands, “Mr. Masters, it’s so good to meet you…..uughhh.” She groaned as she stepped out of the shower to brush her teeth, studying herself in the mirror. She started gesturing with her toothbrush, leaning on the sink. “Hi, I’m Kasey, the biggest spaz in Amity Park! And today I am going to fail at talking to one of the richest and successful men in the universe and everyone is going to know I made Vlad Masters hate me because I am a total freak”. She sighed in defeat, moving to blow dry out her hair.

After getting dressed and spending more than five minutes pulling at her hoodie and ponytail. Then stabbing her finger with one of her ghost earrings, she rushed around trying to get everything else squared away. This was no easy feat, however. She put her car keys in her cat’s food dish, put the can of cat food in the fridge, forgot to grab her boots and nearly left the apartment in just her socks. Not exactly the forty-five minutes she was hoping for, but she called Roy back to tell him she was on her way.

Roy let her know she had coffee and doughnuts waiting for her in her studio booth, as a thank you from the higher ups. She appreciated the kindness they gave her every so often, mainly in a way that would keep her from ever leaving to find another job. On her way out, she opened the door to find Zack and Kayla waiting outside. They started to greet her but in her hurry to get to work, she barely registered either of them. Kasey grimaced after a second or so. 

“Uh….where are you going?” Kayla asked her.“I thought we were going to the mall and mini golfing today.” 

Kasey sighed, reshouldering her messenger bag, “S--sorry, guys. I have an interview with Vlad Masters! I gotta go! Sorry!!” She sidestepped them and took off past them. 

“Kasey, today is your day off!” Zack called after her.

“No thanks! I’m not hungry!” Kasey called over her shoulder, “See you guys tonight!” 

Watching their best friend run to her car, the two glanced at each other in confusion and a bit of wariness. It was unlike Kasey to cancel at the last minute. 

“We’re not going to see her tonight, are we?” Zack commented. 

Kayla folded her arms, shaking her head. 

\-------

The drive to work was thankfully quick with minimal traffic. After pulling into her usual parking spot, she sat back in her seat. Digging around, she found an empty Silver’s bag and used it to breathe in and out of. Her heart beat going a mile a minute. She spotted Roy coming out of the front of the building, looking for her. Kasey balled up the paper bag, her shoulders sagging a little. She told herself to calm down as she got out of her car, and grabbed her bag as she did so.

“There you are!” He called.

Kasey tried to apologize, but Roy waved it off as he ushered her into the building and towards the elevator. Going up to the third floor. 

“I don’t know if I can do this”, Kasey told him breathlessly, waiting until they were inside her, thankfully sound proof, studio booth. “I’ve never interviewed anyone this big before”.

“Don’t sweat it,” Roy put his hands on her shoulders. “Just do your music thing, talk about your podcast, promote any ads Dave left on your desk, drink some coffee, eat a couple of doughnuts and we’ll do the rest. Everything will be fine.” 

Kasey sank wordlessly into her chair as he left. She put her bag down onto the floor and took out her phone, charger and a few of the magazines she’d brought with her. At least the interview wasn’t for another couple of hours or so. Though her bosses tended to drop the ball on her with blind-podcast guests. 

“You. You can do this,” she told herself. 

She reached for her headphones and set up the mic, checked the radio, checked her playlist and turned on the “On Air” sign.

“Hello, Amity Park! I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful morning! Sorry I slept in but K. Harper is here and ready to rock your day!”

\-------

As much as he wanted to stay and watch the festivities, including Jack Fenton being made a fool of by other ghost hunters, he had other matters to attend to. Coming to Amity Park to make Danny Fenton’s life a little more complicated had to be done in a very intricate way. He couldn’t just hang around and get caught, especially considering the younger halfa’s ghost powers. His fun would end too soon. The solution had been simple and he’d put it into motion not hours ago. Having met the young woman not a couple of months back as Plasmius. Vlad had looked up her information, she worked at the radio station and she did interviews with guests from time to time.

The ideal alibi, if he ever saw one, but also an opportunity. If there was ever a time to make a new ally, it was now. And what better ally than someone obviously pro-ghost? Avoiding attention when needed was essential to this plan, however. He didn’t wish to be seen and making his presence known would only throw a wrench into his plan. Staying in his ghost form, he used the entrance on the roof, staying intangible until he reached the second-to-last set of stairs to the third floor and transformed back. 

“They’ll never suspect a thing,” He muttered to himself. 

He casually strolled down the hallway, luckily finding the studio after a few minutes. He pulled out his phone, acting very nonchalant as he approached. Coming up to the door he gave the glass a soft tap to get the young woman’s attention.

\-------

After spending more than half an hour airing, she was lucky to catch a break. She needed to breathe and unwind. Coffee and a couple of doughnuts weren’t exactly the best prep-talk meal, though. The coffee was making her more nervous and the sugar rush from the doughnut’s were making it hard for her to focus. She kept checking her phone line and her cellphone to make sure she didn’t miss any updates of when Vlad was to arrive. 

Kasey sat in her chair, headphones around her neck, flipping through one of the magazines and trying to grasp any interesting things to say. But every note in her head fell flat. She was too worried about what she might say to embarrass herself, especially if this was going to be live. The half of the breakfast she did manage to scarf down made her stomach feel even more empty. 

The soft tapping on the glass got her attention but what she wasn’t expecting to see was Vlad Masters himself, standing outside the studio booth. Shock overwhelmed her and she slowly stood up, her feet carrying to the door in a fluid motion. Her knees were shaking rather hard as she opened the door for him. 

“I am in the right place aren’t I?” Vlad wanted to know, pretending to be lost.

“I--yes,” Kasey tried not to stutter over her words, smiling as confidently as she could, “Mr. Masters, I’m Kas--” 

“Kasey Harper”, Vlad smiled reaching for her hand and shaking it, “I know. I mean--”, he quickly smoothed over, “I’ve heard you on the radio. Such an honor to meet you in person”. 

A shade of cerise ran up her cheeks and straight into her hairline as she gazed at him, her mouth opening and closing but no words came out. She tried to form a single sentence but barely got out a discernible “thank you”. After realizing she was still holding his hand, she quickly apologized, dropping her hand from his. “I take it you took the back stairs?” 

Vlad moved into the studio, closing the door behind them, “Oh, yes. Yes I did. Didn’t wish for the media to suddenly show up and interrupt. I hope you don’t mind?” 

“No problem”, Kasey smiled, “Uh...why don’t you take my chair,” she offered. 

Vlad smiled pleasantly and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Looking over, he saw a few of the published magazines with his photo on the cover. So she wasn’t just a ghost fan after all. He could use this to his advantage. 

“Any chance we can keep this little meeting just between us?”, He asked, “I’m sure your colleagues will understand”, he folded his hands across his lap.

Kasey smiled weakly, sliding onto her desk to sit in front of him. “Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing. I didn’t know about our interview until this morning and I kinda...don’t have anything to go off of”, her voice trailed off nervously. 

Vlad looked shocked, “I do apologize for that. I thought you knew I was coming. I didn’t mean to put you in such a precarious situation”, he placed his hand over his heart, “I promise to never do that to you ever again”.

She giggled behind her hand, “Mr. Masters that’s not--”

“Vlad, my dear. You may call me Vlad”, He corrected her.

“Vlad”, Kasey’s cheeks burned that dark shade of cerise again, “That’s not necessary. You didn’t do anything, I promise. What with all the ghosts coming out of the woodwork here in Amity Park, we’ve been busy keeping up with it all. Your call-in must have been pushed back in the pile until this morning”.

“And how do you feel about living in a town full of ghosts?” He wanted to know, “It’s so quiet in Wisconsin”. 

“Well, it’s-- it’s pretty exciting”, She admitted, staring down at her hands and then towards him, “But I don’t want to bore you with that”.

“Well, I hardly want to bore you with any scientific nonsense”, Vlad commented, feigning innocence. 

Kasey leaned forward eagerly at the word ‘scientific’ and smiled, her light green eyes lighting up. “Are you kidding me? I eat, sleep, and live Genius Magazine Today and the science articles in the Women of Science Monthly!” 

“Well, Ms. Harper--” 

“Kasey”, she blushed harder, giving him a friendly smile and corrected, “You may call me Kasey,” reiterating his words from earlier.

“Well, Kasey”, Vlad smiled, leaning back in the chair, “It looks like we have something to talk about after all”. 

They sat and picked each other’s brains for about a half an hour. The subject of science falling into sports and thereafter Vlad ranting about the Packers. He had tried to keep up his ruse and feigning being interested in speaking with Kasey but the longer he sat with her, the more at ease he was feeling. In fact, had she not noticed how long they had been talking, he would have been all too happy to continue their chat for the duration of the entire day. 

“Ah, sugar biscuits,” he cursed, checking his watch, “And here I was just getting comfortable speaking with you.” He stood up from the chair. “I do have other appointments, unfortunately.” 

Kasey followed his lead, sliding off her desk and standing with him, “That was...that was fun. I really did enjoy speaking with you Mr. Mas--Vlad”, she corrected.

He spotted her cell phone on the desk, smoothly moving to swipe it from the counter before she could react. “I have a fun idea. Why don’t I put my number in your phone? That way, if you need me or want to talk to me, you can,” he gave her a warm smile as he handed the phone to her. 

Kasey stared at him, a little put off by this but accepted her phone nevertheless. Flustered, she quickly opened her phone and went to the contacts menu. Her fingers shaking hard as he gave her his number. 

“I--I don’t know what to say”, Kasey stuttered, smiling shyly at him, “Thank you”. 

“What are friends for?” Vlad placed a hand on her shoulder, “We’re friends now, aren’t we?” 

She looked down at her phone, her whole body shaking. He said something about being friends. Wait…friends? “We-- we are?” She turned to look at him, confused, but found he was gone. She swore his hand had just been on her shoulder a moment ago. Kasey opened the door and looked down either hallway but he was nowhere to be seen. 

“He moves quick”, she murmured under her breath. Moving back into the booth, her legs gave way and she fell back into her chair. She swiped her phone screen to find his name and number in her contacts. A grinning Vlad icon smiled up at her on the phone. 

Kasey softly chuckled to herself. She had made it through speaking with him. But….at what cost? She hadn’t let anyone know he was here and there wasn’t much of an interview to be had. Perhaps they would believe he cancelled or didn’t show. Roy phoned her not long after and told her that Vlad had indeed called to confirm he needed to cancel. Kasey thanked him and returned to being live on air and taking requests for the afternoon lunch hour. 

Their secret was safe. There was nothing to worry about. 

\-------

She had stayed the duration of the rest of the afternoon to appease her coworkers and her bosses, making sure to ask Kayla what she and Zack wanted for takeout. She apologized about running out on them and planned to make it up to them. The drive home wasn’t as eventful and the weight of talking to Vlad Masters was off her shoulders, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was all too bizarre. Perhaps she was overthinking things a little. This was Amity Park, after all. The bizarre thrived here.

 _“They did give me tomorrow off instead”_ , Kasey reassured herself. Returning home to her apartment, she dumped her belongings in a kitchen chair and curled up on the couch with Sgt. Pepper, scratching behind his ears lazily. The cat stretched out on her stomach and after a few moments or so, they both dozed off. 

After a time, there was a small tapping noise outside on the window in her bedroom. Sgt. Pepper jumped down to go investigate and Kasey woke up to see him standing in the hallway with his fur up, hissing softly. She approached cautiously, tiptoeing around the corner. The cat scampered off, still hissing. Eyebrows raising, Kasey inspected the window. She took off one of her boots, just in case. She drew back the latch, ready to hit someone with it. 

“And what, pray tell, were you planning to do with that?” a suave, low voice remarked, chuckling in amusement.

Kasey turned her attention to the fire escape to see Plasmius watching her from the railing above. He floated down to meet her, landing on the terrace outside her room. Kasey quickly put her boot back on and approached the window. 

“You! How did you--?” Kasey gaped at him in awe, the shade of cerise entering her cheeks once more. 

“Find you? Oh well, a little birdie told me as a matter of fact,” his red eyes glittered happily as he stepped towards her. He held out his hand to her, “Don’t you wish to join me on this lovely evening?”

Kasey took a step back.Inwardly, the idea that he noticed her at all was making her excited. She could feel her heartbeat quicken. But at the same time she had to be cautious. As far as she was aware they had no prior interactions.. And the crush she harbored had been from afar, nothing more than that. 

“First things first,” she countered, “I have a couple questions of my own. Firstly, why or what are you even doing here? Secondly, how did you even notice me? I find that part rather suspicious.” 

“Why, who couldn’t notice such a lovely creature as yourself?” He answered, ignoring her questions entirely. 

Kasey’s eyes widened and her knees melted underneath her. She nervously glanced between him and his still extended hand. She should’ve had half a mind not to trust him. To interrogate him further. Her stomach filled with butterflies. She thought about her friends, glancing back over her shoulder towards the hallway. Her phone was still in the other room. The offer was just too tempting. Finally turned back to the ghost in front of her, she took his hand. Carefully climbing over the window ledge and coming to stand on the fire escape. 

“I--maybe for a little while”, Kasey breathed. 

Plasmius gave her a smile, squeezing her hand, “Perfect”.


	3. Chapter 2: Quiet Conversations

** Chapter 2: Quiet Conversations **

\-------

It was well past nine-thirty when Kasey returned to her apartment. She couldn’t ask Plasmius to drop her off on the fire escape after seeing Kayla’s car out by the curb. She had to take the front entrance instead. And had long disappeared into the night, leaving her to face wondering how to explain this one. It occurred to her that she couldn’t tell Kayla about her ghost. So how was she going to explain she’d fallen asleep after work, then woke up only to be whisked off by her ghost crush? 

Taking the stairs up to her floor, she could almost hear it now. _“You could have gotten hurt!” “You could have been killed!” “What were you thinking?!”_

Kasey reached her apartment door and remembered she didn’t have her keys with her. Before she could even blink, the door flew open and Kayla was hugging her around the shoulders. She pulled Kasey into the apartment, shutting the door with her foot and ushering her towards the couch with her hands still on her shoulders. 

“Zack said you didn’t pick up so I figured I’d come to you instead of you coming to us,” Kayla’s voice was calm, but her expression said otherwise, “You weren’t here so I used the key you gave me,” she bit her lip, trying to carefully word herself, “Are you--are you _okay_. Kasey?” She let her hands slip from her best friend’s shoulders and she sank down on the cushion beside her.

“What do you mean?” Kasey offered in gesture with her hands, “I’m fine--”

“Before you start with that ‘I’m fine business’, we both know you had something come up at work today and well--” Kayla’s face went from looking worried to suddenly showing a very interested expression, “Between us girls, you’d tell me if you started seeing someone else, right?”

If she had been expecting anything out of her best friend’s mouth, it hadn’t been that. She would have been more in shock if it wasn’t for the fact she was relieved that she wasn’t being interrogated about not being home. Kasey wasn’t comfortable with divulging what had been said between her and Vlad Masters. That had been very private and was still very surreal to her. “You’re right. I would definitely tell you”, she started to say, “But it’s not like that. I went for a walk to get some fresh air and I must have forgotten my keys and my phone. You know how it is when I get called in on my day off”, she waved her hands, hoping against hope Kayla wouldn’t press her on the matter.

Kayla sat back, half disappointed and half relieved, “Well, I guess I should have known you’d tell me if you were but you know, I had to ask”. She chuckled. 

Kasey smiled at that and nodded sympathetically. If only it were that easy to give a straight answer these days. She wanted so much to tell her friends everything. She thought back to high school, having befriended the ghost in the mirror. The other kids had caught her going to the locker when she could get a chance. But Kayla and Zack didn’t mind, seeing past her being odd and had stuck up for her. But how much more were they willing to handle at this point? 

“You can stay over if you want. If it’ll make you feel better”, Kasey extended the invitation, “Don’t need me sleep walking out of here”, she gave her own little joking chuckle. 

“Thanks Kase, that..that makes me feel a lot better. I was going to ask but I know you don’t like the over protectiveness too much,” Kayla gave her a quick hug before getting up to get an extra set of blankets and a sheet from the hall closet. 

Kasey got up to help her make a bed on the couch and move the food Kayla had brought with her to the living room. The two sat up, watched a movie and talked a little but mostly Kasey asked about her day not letting Kayla pry any more information out of her. Before long the girls said goodnight. Sgt. Pepper, who had been mostly lazy and sleeping on the kitchen counter, bounded after his owner. 

“You were worried about me too, huh?” Kasey pet her cat and let him choose where to sleep as she got ready for bed. 

The TV was still on and so she shut her door to drown out the noise. After getting into bed, Kasey rolled over onto her side and sighed to herself, staring out towards the still open window. She watched her curtains dance lazily in the cool breeze for a time, her eyes growing heavy and finally dozing off once more. 

\----

Kasey’s need to check on her alarm clock caused tossing and turning from five am to six-thirty, until she couldn’t take it anymore and got up to shower. Coming out to the living room in a towel and drying her hair, she saw the couch empty and a note from Kayla. Stating she had left early and didn’t want to wake her. And it relieved her that Kayla wasn’t there. Kasey, feeling a bit guilty for even thinking that, continued her morning routine. Her way out, she stopped by the garbage shoot to throw out the trash. 

Lifting the lid to the shoot, a dumpy ghost in overalls rose out of it. She liked to think he used to work as an attendant for the Amity Park dump and had died in his mid-forties. He was obssessed with boxes and cardboard. She jumped back a bit, staring at him. 

“I am the box ghost! Oh---it’s you!” The Box Ghost interrupted his usual monologue, “A-Hem! What cardboard minions have you brought me to today, human?” he tried to act menacing but failed to do so. 

“Uh, just pizza and trash,” Kasey held up the two items.

“Very well!”,the Box Ghost became dramatic, “You may proceed,” he waved his arms to the garbage shoot. 

Kasey couldn’t help but give an amused laugh. Opening the shoot and throwing away her garbage, proceeding to do the same with the pizza box. The Box Ghost swiftly snatched up the box in triumph and darted away, as though he had acquired something of importance. Kasey shut the door to the garbage shoot, unphased and leaving for work. 

\----

Stepping into her booth, Kasey found Roy dropping off a cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich on her desk. She barely had time to thank him as he rushed towards her, a smile spread across his face.

“Sooo? What did Simon have to say?” Giddy anticipation in his voice, moving to shut the door so they could talk privately, “About your interview with Masters. Simon told me that he’d cancelled but…,” Roy paused, eying her closely, “He didn't, did he?” 

Kasey’s cheeks flushed, the color crawling up her face. The urge to lie was uncharacteristic at best. Would she if she had to? Possibly. But she couldn’t do that to Roy. He had one of those faces. She couldn’t do that to him. 

“Okay but please promise me you won’t say anything. To anyone,” She begged. 

Roy placed his hand on his heart, honoring the boy scouts code and swearing on a stack of science fiction movies. Kasey, taking a deep breath, launched into the story about what had occurred. What had been talked about. Her fingers started to pull at the edges of her sweatshirt, staring at the ground. 

“It was...and he was...and I…,” Kasey struggled to string together a single sentence now. All she could was turn her gaze away and slip her cell phone out of her bag. “And he-” 

“Noooooo,” Roy breathed in a whisper, looking shocked.

“Yeah”.

Kasey’s hands shook, unlocking her phone and showing him that Vlad’s name and number were in her contacts. She really hadn’t had time to process this at all, knowing she should have been more excited than she was acting but her interaction with him in general had thrown her off and she couldn’t explain it. Roy tried to get more out of her but gave up. Kasey thanked him for the breakfast sandwich before he departed towards his office. She found herself slumping into her chair, locking her phone as though nervous Vlad’s information might suddenly vanish if she didn’t. Stowing it away in her bag. 

About a quarter way through the afternoon, Kasey was sitting in her chair, cheerily reading through her notes. Having come up with tips and extra bits to talk about. She hadn’t noticed three spectrual vultures sneaking through the vent above her and coming to sit on the far corner shelf. They looked around the sound booth in observance before taking off and disappearing. 

“Alright, I’m going to give green thumbs at home some safety tips for your plants for the winter,” Kasey noted with a glance at her notebook that her thoughts hadn’t been completed, “After this a message from our sponors over at Silver’s!” 

And that’s when it happened. Not a second after clicking a button and reaching for her pencil. The pencil mug on her desk went flying and propelled the items within onto the floor. Kasey, leaning to reach for one, frowned in annoyance. The pencil, seemingly being dragged like a magnet, propelled across the floor. She muttered something under her breath, getting out of her chair to retrieve it. Stopping near it, she stared at it closely, when it suddenly rose up and rolled quickly before hitting her boot. 

“What the--” Kasey muttered, eyebrows raised. 

The three vultures cackled, rising from the floor. Causing Kasey to become unbalanced in surprise, falling backwards onto the floor. One of them grabbed her headset from her and tossed it aside, another flying around her, cackling mischievously. They sounded like old men. The third upturned her trash bucket onto her, making her scuff in shock. 

“Why you--!” Kasey tried to throw balled up pieces of paper at them but missed as the paper did nothing but pass through their bodies. 

“Sorry lil missy! Ya gotta do better than that!” 

They cackled at her, disappearing up through the ceiling. Rising to her feet, Kasey breathed through her nose, annoyed. “What were those ghosts doing in here anyway--”, 

Having retrieved her pens and pencils, Kasey found her chair occupied. She stumbled back, the writing implements falling through her fingers. Plasmius was sitting in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. A smirk pulling at his lips. Moving to re-gather the items off the floor, Kasey leaned around him to snatch up her headset but he was quicker. He made a light click of his tongue, waving a finger at her.

“I’m sure the citizens of this town can go two minutes without a weather report or how to plant onions,” he tossed the headset out of her reach, though careful not to break it. 

Her eyes followed the headset and back toward him, wondering what he was doing here. Keeping eye contact with him, she retrieved the mug off the floor, setting the pens and pencils back in it and on her desk. She lifted an eyebrow, “I’m listening”. 

Plasmius looked at her for a moment but brushed off any lingering thoughts about the night before. She was nothing but a bug that happened to be planted in this town, a pawn, an excuse to spy on Danny Fenton and his family. Checking in with her was just a necessity. She was only useful until she wasn’t. 

“Unfortunately, I’ve worn out my welcome in Amity Park for a while it seems”, he offered, hoping to keep her strung along the best he could manage. 

Kasey’s eyebrows raised as she stared at him, “What?” Why was he telling her he was leaving? She was taken aback by his sudden abruptness. 

He didn’t answer her as he stood up from the chair nor show her any recognition he’d heard her. A gleam in his red eyes, a smarmy smirk and was gone almost as quickly as he’d shown up. Leaving Kasey to stay rooted in place for a handful of seconds, reality crashing back around her as her eyes fell on her headset. She quickly fumbled for it, apologizing to her listeners. 

\----

There was something to be said about life and how courses of fate and it’s inevitable turn of events can be changed, come to pass or ultimately end. It was hard for anyone to comprehend at best. Surely this task of maintaining order could go to anyone. The cloaked figure hovered two, three inches from the ground, a time staff held in a small hand, a young hand, an adult hand and an old hand. The figure never stayed at one stage of age for very long. Seconds or minutes was anyone’s guess. 

He wasn’t expecting company either. Giving a brief groan and clearing of his throat as he turned to find his brothers of time and era’s coming to see him. Frostbite was from the era of Tibet, a peaceful beast with a map that allowed wanderers to never become lost. Undergrowth was a wise and powerful plant creature from the days of Pariah’s rule, he usually traveled as spores around the ghost zone, manifesting as plants or vines to carry news wherever he could. Vortex was placid and billowing with mild grey clouds about his person. He was a fair weathered being with no exact origin but he was on the Observants list as far as Clockwork knew. 

“And what do I owe this honor?” Clockwork’s voice was very smooth, deadpan, almost boring yet precise. 

“We heard rumblings of Pariah Dark and his captain’s guard, Fright Knight,” Undergrowth’s gravelly voice spoke, “We believed we should meet with you and see what is to be done”.

The former seemed to chew on this information as though having known something about it, “What of you Frostbite? Vortex?” the shrouded hooded figure glanced at the other two.

“I’m more inclined to stay as peaceful as possible”, Frostbite’s voice was calm, his beastly low tone was very friendly despite his height, “The ghost boy that has been spoken to me by some and hated by many will no doubt protect us when the time comes. If Pariah Dark and Fright Knight do make any unwarranted attacks upon us that is. The castle has been abandoned for decades. Though I do believe Fright Knight has been spotted in that vicinity”.

Vortex just hummed with little to no care for these problems. He was however invested in the mention of the ghost boy. He’d heard rumors down the mill. They had all been rather amused by Walker being thwarted by him. And the subject and prison called ‘Wulf’ had been released safely. “I find it more intriguing you’ve spent so much time watching your clocks and mirrors, Clockwork”, his voice was like rain during a loud summer shower, “The observants I’m sure are very angry with you”, there was a flicker of a smile. 

“That is not your business. They can’t interfere any more than you and I can”, Clockwork shot at him, though his voice was still calm and even. 

“Please, please”, Frostbite stepped forward, gesturing with his hands, “We accomplish nothing by squabbling among each other. The ghost zone is already at odds. Nocturn and Pandora are also unaccounted for as we speak”, he gave pause, breathing slowly, “We’re not sure how to proceed from here”.

Clockwork turned away from them slowly, looking at the time portal with a calculating expression. His eyebrows knitted in thought. He was quiet for a time but the others were slowly growing impatient, however they stayed where they were due to their own curiousness. They wished to know what to do and how to go about it. After a time, the cloaked figure moved to regard them each.

“At present I have no indication how to proceed”, He exclaimed, “But I trust your judgement and how you each approach the coming storm”, he pointed his staff at the time portal and it revealed images that could be, can be, would be, vague impressions and vague out comes, “Nothing is set in stone”, he added quickly, “There is another besides the ghost boy that’s come upon my radar. She’s a human”, he saw the look on their faces. 

“You place your bets on such high stakes”, Undergrowth barked with a gruff laugh, “You said it yourself, we can’t interfere. What could a human possibly do to help us?” 

Undergrowth took his leave, Vortex following him but not before adding in kind as he turned to Clockwork, “You’ve spent too long in this tower my friend. Don’t go getting your own hopes too high or your own future will be set in stone”, he chuckled at the puns. 

Frostbite stayed beside Clockwork as the other two departed. The yeti king glanced at the time portal to show a young woman with purple dyed hair over and over again, the images were vague and different. Events changed in various timelines before coming back to the present time on earth. The Ghost Zone’s time passed quicker here. One day in the ghost zone was only three minutes back in the mortal realm. 

“So her…..and the ghost child?” Frostbite saw glimpses of the one known as ‘the ghost boy’ as well in the time portal. 

Clockwork gave a court nod, “But remember, we are not their friends”. 

Frostbite nodded to show his understanding. Things were brittle and fragile already with Dora and her brother Aragon vying for the Dragon amulet and the others all becoming restless and having their own agendas. Walker and his police force were becoming more and more a threat to everyone, not just the low lives that ended up here. The ghost zone was almost becoming a wasteland of territories. With Pariah Dark, Nocturn, Fright Knight and Pandora all scattered and missing, the ghost zone had become feral and uncontrolled.

“If there is nothing more to be discussed,” Clockwork continued, looking at his friend, “I would like to be alone”. He was still a bit clipped about being interrupted.

“What of the new ghost?” Frostbite wanted to know.

“New ghost?” Clockwork quirked an eyebrow, his form going through the motions of old to young and back through the cycle as he had been doing.

“A ghost calling himself Plasmius, I believe,” Frostbite explained. 

“He’s just a spec on a bigger wheel”, Clockwork dismissed this. “We may have a use for him if and when the time comes but I highly doubt it”.

Frostbite didn’t seem so keen on letting the matter go but obliged to leaving Clockwork alone. After he was left alone once more, Clockwork opened a channel to speak with a young ghost The ghost child saluted him in turn. 

“Boxlunch,” Clockwork addressed her, “Bring me your findings on one Daniel Fenton”.

The channel closed and returned to it’s usual form of clips and vague visuals. Clockwork moved away from it, continuing his float-pacing here and there. He stroked his chin, contemplating his next move. The observers had a way of just showing up without notice and he could not work with their constant hovering and questions. He was mildly disturbed by the absence of the handful of ancients and what that could mean for all of them. He normally didn’t let this get to him but it was starting to affect the way he looked at and probed everything.

If he was wrong however, by any stretch, the future could look bleak for all of them.


End file.
